emery



(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 1.

P. G. EMERY. WINDOW 0R CURTAIN FIXTURE.

No. 593,929. Patented Nov. 16, 1897'.

WITNESSES 2 t e e h s w e e h S 3 (No Model.)

No. 593,929. Patented Nov. 16, 1897'.

INVENTOR A ORNEYJ.

W/TNESSES (No Model.) I 3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

. P. G. EMERY.

.WINDOW 0R CURTAIN FIXTURE. No. 593,929. Patented Nov. 16, 1897.

WITNESSES UNITED STATES PLATO G. EMERY, OF

PATENT .FFICE.

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO THE ADAMS 8E 'WESTLAKE COMPANY.

WINDOW OR CURTAIN FIXTURE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No.593,929, dated November 16, 1897. Application filed December 23, 1896. Serial No. 616,736. (No model.)

To all whom it-may concern:

Be it known that I, PLATO G. EMERY, of the city of Chicago, in the county of (look and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Window or Curtain Fixtures, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon.

My invention relates more particularly to window and curtain fixtures, especially such as are intended for use in railway cars'; and the object of my invention is to construct a simple but effective fixture which will enable the curtain or its equivalent to be raised or lowered to any position or height within the limits of the frame, with its cross bar or bars always horizontal with the top and base of the frame, and to remain at any height to which it may be moved. I

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a face view or elevation of a railway-car window provided with a curtain-fixture constructed according to my invention, the frame or casing of the window being shown in section. Fig. 2 is a sectionon the line 2 2, Fig. 1.' Fig. 3 is an enlarged section on the line 3 3, Fig. 2, part of the frame on one side being seen in section. Figs. 4. and 5 are enlarged views of details. Figs. 6 and 7 respectively show the use of the invention with a flexible window-screen and a flexible shutter. Fig. 8 shows the application of the fixture to a section of an open or a summer car, the uprights of which are here considered to be the equivalent of the side framing seen in Figs. 1 and 2.

Similar letters of reference indicate similar parts in the respective figures.

Referring to Fig. 1, A is the window-frame, and B the window, which may be of any suitable design or construction. The curtain B is of fabric, leather, or other suitable material, and is wound upon a spring-roller D, the function of this spring-roller in all adaptations of my invention being to tend at all times to wind the curtain upon the roller, and thus raise the curtain or its equivalent to its highest position.

v In constructing my invention in its simplest form I provide the lower end of the curtain with a tube T, which may be of metal or other suitable material. The tube may be circular,squar e, rectangular, or of other shape in cross-section. Through this tube pass two flexible chains 0 C, of the character technically known to the trade as ladder-chains, the construction of which is shown more particularly in the enlarged view, Fig. 4. It will be seen that the chain is formed of a series of links a, each link having loops at and a horizontal member 04 In assembling the links of the chain the loops 0. of one link receive the horizontal member a of the contiguous link, the series of horizontal members a performing a function hereinafter described. Each of these chains is connected both to the upper and to the lower end of the window-frame, but at diagonally opposite corners. Thus the chain D is connected to the upper part of the window-frame, as at :0, and to the lower part of the window-frame, as at y, diagonally opposite, while the chain 0 is connected to the upper part of the window-frame, as at 00', on the side opposite that at which the chain 0 is connected,while the lower end of the chain 0 is united to the lower end of the window-frame, as at'y, in the diagonally opposite corner. Thus the two chains cross each other within the tube at the lower edge of the curtain and pass out of the wheat the opposite open ends. I WVhere they pass out I prefer to provide guide pieces or bearings F. (Seen enlarged in Fig. 5.) Each guide piece or bearing supports two notched or serrated wheels F, the notches or serrations 1) of which engage, mesh, or interlock with the transverse members a of the chain, as clearly shown in Fig. 3.

The chains 0 C where they pass out of the guide pieces or bearings F bear with sufficient friction upon the wheels F to maintain the curtain in the position which may be given it and in opposition to the pull of the spring in the curtain-roller, but at the same time to permit of the curtain being raised or lowered by a slight pulling or lifting power applied to the bottom. It will be seen also that the chains and wheels cooperate in performing, substantially, the function of a rack and gear. Owing to the described arrangement of these chains the line of the bottom edge of the curtain cannot be pushed or pulled out of substantial parallelism with the top and bottom of the window-frame, or, in other words, no matter how the curtain is manipulated or pulled up or down its lower edge will always keep its proper horizontal position.

The chains 0 C are preferably attached to the window-frame by screws 0, and the construction of the chain conveniently allows for the adjustment of tension or tightening thereof, as the screw at each of the attaching ends may be passed through the next adjacent link should the chain have lengthened or stretched by continued wear.

The guide pieces or bearings F maybe separate from the tube T or be integral therewith.

In Fig. 8 the invention is shown applied to the side standards of an open or summer car. In this adaptation of my fixture no change whatever is required, the side frames E E being held to be the full equivalent of the side frames of the window-frame A, and the other parts of the said frame finding their equivalent in other portions of the open or summer car, as is obvious.

I prefer to provide in the side pieces of the window-frame and in the side frames of the open car vertical grooves G, in which the guide pieces or bearings F may travel and the chains be more or less concealed from View.

In Fig. 6 I have shown the invention as incorporated with a flexible window-screen, it being evident that it is equally applicable thereto, while in Fig. 7 an adaptation of the device is shown as a well-known form of flexible shutter, which may be either of wood or metal or other approved material.

I claim as my invention 1. The combination, with a window-frame or its described equivalent,and a spring-rolled curtain or its described equivalent, of a tube carried by the curtain, and two chains of the ladder construction each connected to diagonally opposite corners of the window-frame, passing through the said tube and crossing the other chain, each end of said tube having notched or serrated wheels engaging the chains, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. The combination, with a window-frame or its described equivalent,and a spring-rolled curtain or its described equivalent, having a tube at its lower end, of a guide-piece at each end of the tube, notched or serrated wheels mounted in each of said bearings, and two chains of the ladder construction each connected to diagonally opposite corners of the window-frame, passing through the tube and crossing the other chain, said chains being adapted to engage with the said notched or serrated Wheels, substantially as and for the purposes described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and aifixed my seal, this 15th day of December, 1896, at the said city of Chicago.

PLATO G. EMERY. [L. 8.]

Witnesses:

WM. S. I'IAMM, E. L. LANGWORTHY. 

